Railway-tie



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model.)

R. MOFFLY.

RAILWAY TIB.

No. 300,000. v1200010000 ont. 7, 1884.

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( No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. MOPFLY.

y 0, .RAILWAY TIB. No. 306,090. Patented Oct. 7, 1884.

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ROBERT MOFFLY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

. RAILWAY-TlE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,090, dated October 7, 1884.

Application filed April 10, 1884. (No model.)

T) all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MoFrLY, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties.V

The following is a specification of my said improvements, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a top or plan View of a tic elnbodying myinventiou and portions ofthe rails attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the tie, showing` the rails in cross-section. Fig. ,3 is a perspective view of the tie, the rails being removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective lview of the clamp-plate by which the rail is attached to the tie, said plate being represented bottom upward in order to show. the details of construction. Fig. 5 is a viewin cross-section upon the line 00x of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the rail and a portion of the tie and clampeplate adjacent thereto, the latter being also shown in crosssection, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through a part of the tie, showing in cross-section two rails mounted close together thereon.

rIhe scale of the last three figures is much enlarged. j

The main object of my'invention is to provide a means for readily attaching rails to 1netallic ties in such manner that the position of the rail and its angle to the tie may be varied to any extent, and that the juxtaposition of a number of rails upon the same tie may he permitted. My further aim is to simplify the mechanical construction of a tie having the above characteristics, in order that its manufacture may be commercially practicable. To these ends I make a longitudinal slot of inverted-T shape in the upper portion of the tie, throughout the whole or a portionof its length, and form upon the upper surface and at the adjacent edges of said slot a series of recesses of uniform size with each other and with the intermediate projecting portions of the ticsurface, the recesses upon one side alternating with those upon the other.

Vith the tie thus constructed I combine a clamp-plate, upon one side of which are projections and recesses adapted to engage with the recesses and projections of the tie-surface, said plate being provided with means for seiron, which are structurally counterparts of i cach other. The upper edges, b b', of these strips B B', when placed in position, overhang and form a T-shaped longitudinal slot in theV upper face of the tie. Uniform recesses D D', preferably rectangular` in shape, are formed along the adjacent edges of the strips, the intermediate projecting parts, d d', of the edge being of the same dimensions as the recesses. The strips B B' are so arranged that the recesses D upon one shall be opposite to the pro` j ections d' upon the other, and vice versa. In the drawings the scale of the recesses and projections, for convenience of illustration, is much exaggerated, it being my intention to make them in practice about one-fourth of an inch in width and depth. The rails E, being laid across the ties, are secured by means of clamp-plates F, constructed and applied in the following manner: rlhe clamp-plate F is considerablywider than the distance between the edges of the strips B B', and is beveled preferably at both ends, as shown at e c, to iit over and clamp the bottom flange of the rail. The

under side of the cla1np-plate F is formed with projections f, with intermediate recesses, f', these projections and recesses conforming in size and shape with those upon the strips B B'. A longitudinal ilange, g, is formed along the under side of the plate F, the distance from the farthest side of said flange to the front end of projection f being just equal to that between the back end of a recess D and the face ofthe opposite strip B upon the tie. At proper points the plate F is pierced for the insertion of bolts h, whose T-shaped heads z iit snugly in the lower portion of the slot formed by the ovcrhanging edges b b'. The plates F being placed with one end bearing down upon the bottom flange of the rail, and with the flange g in contact with one edge, b', of the strip B', the

IOO

projections and recesses ff interlock, respectively, with the recesses and projections D d, and when the nuts vK are screwed home the plates F are clamped iirmly in position to secure the rail. The longitudinal displacement of the plates F is prevented by the interlocking of the recesses and projections, and its lateral displacement bythe iiange g on one side, and by the abutment of the respective ends of projections and recesses upon the other. The purpose ofthe double series of recesses alternately arranged upon the tie is to permit a very minute adjustment'of the plates F, since, the recesses being one-fourth of an inch in width, by turning` the `plate F and applying it to the opposite stripB, its distance from the first point of attachment will be one-:fourth of an inch. It is for this reason that I construct each end of the plate F with a bevel adapted to engage over and clamp the rail-flange.

' Where it is desired to lay rails obliquely to the tie, the ends of the platesF may be correspondingly united, or may be tapered toward the center. Vhen two rails are to be laid in close proximity, (see Fig. 7 it is only necessary to place between them a single T-headed bolt, h, having a Washer, m, whose under surface conforms to the bottom flange of the rails,

' and to arrange upon the outside of each rail a Itis F may be varied from that shown, and that if capacity for minute adjustment is not required only one edge of the slot may be provided therewith; hence I do not limit my claim to the precise arrangement shown, but desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the tie having a longitudinal slot formed in the upper portion thereof, and having overhanging edges and a series of recesses upon the edge of said slot, of a clamp-plate having a surface adapted to engage with said recesses, and afastening device for said clamp-plate adjustable longitudinally in said slot, the whole operating substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the bottom plate,

A, of the strips B B, secured thereto and forming a longitudinal T-shaped slot, the recesses upon said strips arranged to alternate upon the opposite sides of the slot, and the reversible clamp-plate adapted to engage with the recesses upon either edge and provided with a suitable fastening device, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the tie having a longitudinal slot and recesses along the edges of said slot, of a clamp-plate having a bottom surface adapted to engage with said recesses, and a flange, g, arranged relatively to said recesses and slot, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

ROBT. MOFFLY.

Vitnesses:

CrrARLns F. ZIEGLER, J. WALTER DoUGLAss. 

